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Found in translation: interpreting in the Top End

Jacqueline Phillips works in bush communities across the Top End in her role with the Aboriginal Interpreter Service.

Lucie Bell

Jacqueline Phillips works for the Aboriginal Interpreter Service (AIS) in bush communities across the Northern Territory.

She spoke to NT Country Hour during NAIDOC week about her job, some of the challenges she faces and the changes she's noticing in her language with younger generations.

Every few weeks Jacquie works at the Maningrida Bush Courts, where she interprets in her language Burarra.

"Burarra is a big language group. It's a language really from in between Maningrida and Milingimbi and it has four or five dialects.

"In our language we have many ways of saying 'we go'. We have a word for a female and a male, or a male and a male, or a younger person and an older person, or as a group. So you have to be quite specific."

It can be tricky speaking for others, much of Jacquie's work is in the courts or at hospitals interpreting for doctors and nurses.

"It's very tough, because there's still that lack of awareness in the community of our role. A lot of people still think that we're there to help them specifically for their needs and to provide them with advice."

Another consideration in Jacquie's line of work is who she is allowed to interpret for and whether a client has the same skin group.

"It's got nothing to do with the skin, it's just a name for each individual... They have about four to six different skin groups.

"If a job request comes in and they have the same skin name, I'm not allowed to interpret, because I'm not allowed to know their business."

Jacquie is also noticing that her language is changing, little by little, with old and new versions of Burarra.

"With new Burarra, they're not using the pronunciation properly, they're dragging words, not rolling the r in lots of words.

"That's something I like about working for the Aboriginal Interpreter Service, because it got me to really acknowledge and maintain my language more.

"And that's how I am with my children now, before I used to speak to them the new version, now I speak the proper way."

The AIS is currently expanding its services to reach more communities and Jacquie hopes there might be an opportunity to expand nationally some time in the future.

"The best thing about being an interpreter is actually providing that quality communication, to break that language barrier.. and being a voice, especially for the quiet ones who want to speak up and say something."